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NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is “struggling” with incentive programs that recognize employers for exemplary efforts in preventing workplace injuries and illnesses, Richard E. Fairfax, deputy assistant U.S. labor secretary, told an audience of Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) members on Tuesday.

Fairfax, speaking to TRSA’s Leadership & Legislative Conference, said limited resources have prevented OSHA from expanding these efforts after they grew significantly in recent years, particularly during President George W. Bush’s administration.

In more recent years, OSHA has concentrated on evaluating their effectiveness. “I think the world of the program,” Fairfax says of the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), but he indicated that such endeavors might need better quality control.

The VPP, Safety & Health Achievement and Recognition Program (SHARP) and other honors awarded to employers, including many in the textile service industry, are under evaluation by an OSHA team Fairfax appointed last summer. “I told them to take as long as they want, to do a top-to-bottom review,” he says.

In the meantime, he urged employers to take advantage of other compliance assistance programs, such as the free OSHA consultation service for companies with 250 workers or less. Agency personnel who visit a business and find violations don’t notify the federal office of these unless the location’s management refuses to fix them. This program saw a budget increase in 2011, Fairfax notes. Each OSHA area office employs a compliance assistance specialist who performs these inspections.

“Our senior and best compliance officers have moved into those positions,” he explains. “They’re not allowed to do anything in enforcement.” They exist for training and outreach and usually “all it takes is a phone call to the office” to involve them in a voluntary compliance effort.

Fairfax also pointed out that the agency hopes to increase its use of private-sector safety pros to help with other employers’ preventive efforts. In this special government employee (SGE) program, such an individual receives three days of free OSHA training, and then participates annually as a member of an OSHA team evaluating other companies’ safety procedures. The agency wants to increase the number of SGEs who can help permanent OSHA staff work with employers in preventive efforts.

Fairfax’s presentation included numerous statistics on the agency’s enforcement activities in 2011, such as a leveling of inspection totals from the prior year (down about 300 to 40,600) and a 6,000 decline in violations to 91,000. The textile services business had no willful or repeat violations, a rarity among industries, Fairfax says.

Those findings are consistent with TRSA’s SafeTRSA education and benchmarking program, which has logged results of improved safety practices among member companies during the past five years:

• 42% reduction in total recordable injuries and illnesses rate (TRIR)
• One-third reduction in DART Rate (days away from work, restrictions or transfers)
• Most recent annual improvement of 5% in TRIR and 2.5% in DART rate

HYANNIS, Mass. — Cape Cod Commercial Linen Service (CCCLS) has announced that it will be acquiring another local property, with plans to create a state-of-the-art commercial laundry facility that will open in April.

The Hyannis-based commercial laundry company that has been servicing Cape Cod hotels, resorts, restaurants and other commercial businesses for more than 25 years will be closing its two current facilities and merging them into the nearly 30,000-square-foot building formerly occupied by a wholesale plumbing supply company.

The Cape Cod Commission approved the project in early January.

A key addition to the new facility is a Milnor tunnel system that will reduce the laundry’s energy and water consumption by nearly 50%, the company says. This will make CCCLS a certified “green” laundry under the Laundry Environmental Stewardship Program (LaundryESP), which prides itself on reducing the consumption of energy and by-waste production.

Also added will be a Chicago® Powerhouse ironer.

Closure of CCCLS’ two locations will be gradual, enabling the company to provide uninterrupted customer service.

A comprehensive development plan has been established. CCCLS is encouraging its customers to contact the business for complete details.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — An investigation is under way to determine how a Cintas Corp. maintenance technician was killed early Friday morning when the industrial dryer he was servicing started.

Kevin Lee Burgess, 55, died from blunt-force trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to local authorities. Police are conducting a death investigation but believe the incident that occurred sometime before 4:45 a.m. Friday was an accident, according to local media reports.

“Cintas is devastated to have learned about the accident that took the life of one of our employee-partners at our uniform rental facility in Louisville overnight,” the company says in a prepared statement. “Our deepest heartfelt sympathy is extended to his family.

“The safety and security of our employee-partners is a priority at Cintas, and we are shaken by this news. The company remains focused on providing support to the family and his co-workers at the facility. A thorough investigation has begun to determine the cause of this accident.”

In March 2007, a Cintas worker was killed when he fell into an industrial dryer at the company’s Tulsa, Okla., plant. The death sparked a federal investigation of Cintas and prompted U.S. lawmakers to introduce laws for even greater federal oversight of worksite safety. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) later fined Cintas for safety violations at the Tulsa plant and five other locations.

Cintas reached an agreement with OSHA pertaining to all automated and semi-automated laundry facilities under OSHA’s federal jurisdiction in December 2008, and agreed to pay $2.76 million in fines.

The Textile Rental Services Association (TRSA) says this latest incident “comes amid steady improvements in the industry’s overall safety record as reflected in TRSA’s latest Safety Survey, which indicated that total recordable injuries and illnesses (TRIR) dropped by 5% from 2009-10.”

“This incident occurred despite substantial improvements and our industry’s investment in safety,” TRSA CEO Joseph Ricci says in an association blog entry. “We should respond by strengthening the industry’s resolve to continue our focus on developing safety cultures and striving for zero tolerance.”

Cintas has worked closely with TRSA to help educate industry colleagues on best practices for accident/illness prevention, according to the association, sponsoring tours of its semi-automated wash aisle facilities (one is scheduled at the company’s Lawrenceville, Ga., plant next week) and participating in various panel discussions on safety issues.

ANDOVER, Mass. — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently cited Royal Institutional Services Inc., a commercial laundry in Somerville, Mass., for four alleged violations of workplace safety standards following a worker injury.

OSHA opened its inspection after learning that a mechanic sustained a crushing hand injury on Jan. 26 while lubricating the chain of an ironer that was running.

The laundry, which is owned by Angelica Corp., faces a total of $49,935 in proposed fines.

OSHA’s inspection found that the machine had not first been de-energized and had its power source locked out before maintenance was performed, as required by the agency’s hazardous energy control or “lockout/tagout” standard.

OSHA cited Royal Institutional Services for one repeat violation with a fine of $35,000 for the lack of energy-control procedures; two serious violations with $14,000 in fines for the lack of effective training and evaluation; and one other-than-serious violation with a fine of $935 for a lack of documented lockout procedures for a machine.

Upon receiving the citations and proposed penalties, Royal Institutional Services had 15 business days to comply, meet with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

This Association for Linen Management webinar will present a comprehensive look at the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) requirements in laundries and the changes proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Webinar time is 2 p.m. Eastern, 1 p.m. Central, noon Mountain, 11 a.m. Pacific.

ALM members pay $49.95 per connection; nonmembers pay $75 per connection. Cutoff for ordering is 24 hours prior to webinar.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Recordable injuries and illnesses in Textile Rental Service Association of America (TRSA) member workplaces dropped 17% from 2008 to 2009, according to the annual TRSA Textile Services Industry Safety Report just released.

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has recently taken more action to impose fines and enforce regulations concerning combustible dust and lint in laundry facilities.

This extra attention has translated into a regulatory push for higher standards and the potential for significant fines for lack of compliance.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Gaylord Opryland Resort is taking guest reservations for a Nov. 15 reopening, just six months after massive springtime flooding from the adjacent Cumberland River left the hotel, the legendary Grand Ole Opry and the company’s other area facilities severely damaged.

As of mid-September, clean-up and remediation work had been completed and construction was under way, according to Pete Weien, senior vice president and general manager, who posted an update on the resort’s website.

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is requesting information and comment on occupational exposure to infectious agents in settings where healthcare is provided. Such facilities include hospitals, outpatient clinics, school clinics, correctional facilities, medical examiner offices, mortuaries, and laboratories that handle potentially infectious biological materials.

TULSA, Okla. — Cintas Corp. has settled a civil lawsuit filed by the widow of a laundry worker killed when he fell into an industrial dryer at Cintas’ Tulsa plant in March 2007, according to U.S. District Court records. Settlement terms were not disclosed.

The parties had resolved Amalia Diaz Torres’ claims against Cintas during a court-ordered settlement conference on April 15—a few days before the case was due to go to trial—but a hearing for court approval of the settlement didn’t occur until May 24.

WASHINGTON — The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a new directive targeted at reminding employers of their duty to protect Latino and other non-English-speaking workers from hazards.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As industry struggles to manage costs, provide quality and sustain growth, it must continue to evolve. Its aspiration is to preserve the principles that made it strong, continuously examine new opportunities to improve, and form a clear strategic plan.